Jesus, Bono and Barry Manilow

Religion is what you have left when the Spirit leaves the building

-Bono

The 80s rock star has it right. Don't get me wrong, I love beautiful buildings and I like traditions. They are great. But too often the building and the tradition, the routine of "doing church" become what church is. But the church isn't supposed to stop there. Jesus walked out what God intends us to walk out: A life full of love and of power. Anyone who believes the words of Jesus to be true IS the Church because they have been indwelled with the Spirit of God. I am the Church. I am walking around with God inside of me. No, really, I am! The God who created all that is in the earth and in the universe, The God who spoke the world into being. The God who raised Jesus from the dead. His Spirit resides in me. That ain't just pretty talk or a neato metaphor. It's true. The more I allow Him to show me, the more I understand this to be true. It's not something I can argue someone into believing. It's just something one has to experience.

I can liken this to

BARRY MANILOW?!

Ok, stick with me here...it's similar to the Manilow-concert phenomenon. Barry Manilow carries a stigma. To say you like Barry is to open yourself to ridicule. Yet, after seeing him in concert I have seen former naysayers proudly proclaim that they, too, have become believers in the talents of Manilow. They buy his CDs, long to see another show and tell others they have to see him live on stage to understand what a fabulous showman he is.

To say I am a believer in Jesus and especially to say that I can do the things Jesus did and things even greater, is to risk having eyes rolled at me or having people smile sweetly to my face and then make fun of me later ...Even to be called a heretic. But I care less and less about my reputation. When you start to see the stuff of the Gospels happen before your eyes it's hard to turn back. I have seen physical healings and I've seen demons flee. I have seen Jesus show up and melt a person's hardened heart with His love - just because I was willing to risk looking foolish and invite the unseen to speak to them personally. I was healed myself. It's worth it all to give others what I have been given.

I used to wonder why I have always liked things that other people think are goofy or weird...From the music I like




to the animals that I find loveable



to my days in improvisational comedy.

But I don't wonder anymore.

It has prepared me to walk in the world like a sheep among wolves.

I am willing to speak out that yes, I believe that through the power of the Jesus Christ, the lame will walk. The deaf will hear. The blind will see...

The dead will rise....